For fans of the X-Men and the MCU, things have never been better. Up until the late '90s there were virtually no Marvel superhero movies worth watching. It was doubly frustrating to see countless incarnations of Batman and Superman in the movie theatre, while Marvel couldn't even get any of their flagship characters off the ground. That all changed in the early '00s. X-Men demonstrated that movies about the iconic mutants could be popular. It also proved that movies about Marvel heroes, in general, could be box office gold. 20th Century Fox had a bankable franchise on their hands. Sony soon followed suit with Spider-Man and its sequels. But the real gold rush came with the release of Iron Man in 2008, which introduced the MCU as an interconnected movie universe with an ongoing storyline. The plot of Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of 10 years and 20 movies featuring dozens of Marvel heroes.
As expansive as it is, it's still not perfect. In the comics, the X-Men and the Avengers share a universe, but because those properties were owned by different companies, they could not be seen together in the movies. However, with Disney's recent acquisitions Marvel and 20th Century Fox, the stage is set for a potential introduction of the X-Men into the MCU. If this actually happens, how will they do it? Would they appear in the next Avengers movie? And which ones, played by which actors? Everything is up in the air at this point, but here's the short list of what we'd love to see happen.
Magneto (Want)
Magneto has always been a fascinating character and Fassbender brings incredible depth to the role. Part of what makes Magneto so compelling as a villain is that his motivations are so understandable. Is it wrong to go back and take revenge against the horrible starters of WWII? Is he wrong to warn mutants that humanity will most definitely seek to destroy them? Shouldn't mutants look after their own best interests and not submit to regimes that have a horrible track record with minorities? In this way, he is very similar to Killmonger from Black Panther.
Magneto would be a powerful check against the Marvel heroes, as Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America would be severely handicapped without their metal accessories.
Other superheroes that rely on technology, such as Black Panther or the Guardians of the Galaxy, would also have a rough time.
Wolverine (Want)
Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is the character that just keeps going. He's appeared in nine movies in the X-Men franchise, three of them solo films. His last film, Logan, was a surprisingly moving critical and audience hit. One potential snag to him coming into the MCU is that his character perished at the end of Logan. But this is Marvel we're talking about, who brings back characters from the afterlife all the time. Plus, with the Infinity Gauntlet, writers could easily monkey around with continuity and make virtually anything happen.
Would Hugh Jackman ever want to play the role again? Maybe not. But Wolverine, like Spider-Man, is a huge flagship character that could easily still thrive if played by a different actor.
Mystique (Don't Want)
Don't get us wrong, Mystique is a great character and both actresses who played her did great things with the role. The problem is, Mystique has been overused at this point, especially in the new X-Men films.
Unfortunately, there's nothing that Mystique can do that Loki can't do already in the MCU. And Loki can do far much more than just shapeshift.
Yes, we saw his end in Avengers: Infinity War, but there are already fan theories about how he has survived. Plus, we have the sneaking suspicion that Jennifer Lawrence may be soon done with the role. She's slated to reprise the role in Dark Phoenix, but after that, it's anyone's guess.
Deadpool (Want)
The first incarnation of Deadpool appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. For fans, it was an abomination. They had the right actor, but they changed nearly every recognizable factor about the character, including removing his mouth. What's Deadpool without a sense of humor? He's just not Deadpool. Luckily, Ryan Reynolds worked hard to bring back the correct version of the character, with spectacular results. Deadpool was a box office smash and remained faithful to the hilariously mouthy assassin.
With Deadpool 2, he officially joins the X-Men as a trainee. Though we doubt he'll stay a faithful member of that team, he would be an awesome addition to the MCU. And wouldn't it be amazing to see a Spider-Man/Deadpool team-up? Jokes for days!
Nightcrawler (Want)
If anyone wants to see how powerful and impressive a teleporting character can be, just watch the opening to X2: X-Men United. Nightcrawler easily infiltrates the White House and nearly takes out the President. It's hard to protect someone if walls and distance aren't really obstacles. As far as powers go, there's nothing really like it in the current MCU. Dr. Strange can teleport with the use of portals, but Nightcrawler can do it instantaneously without the use of magic or technology.
And being a mutant that can't easily integrate with the rest of society, he's always sticking up for the little guy. That makes him both a great superhero and a perfect ally to the Avengers.
Cyclops (Don't Want)
Cyclops has a cool power and for a time was the leader of the X-Men. But...somehow his gravitas simply hasn't translated well to film. One disadvantage for actors playing him is that the visor covers the eyes, which play an important role in connecting audiences to characters. Also, the writing for Cyclops (aka Scott Summers) has been flawed. In the original X-Men movies, he seemed like an adult brat. It was impossible not to side with Logan over Scott in the competition for Jean's affection. The second iteration of the character is at the beginning of his training and hasn't reached full maturity yet.
The character could grow and maybe the events of Dark Phoenix will give him more to do. But he just doesn't seem like a "must-have" character for the MCU.
Quicksilver (Want)
Quicksilver has actually appeared in both the MCU and the X-Men universe, but was played by completely different actors in totally different interpretations of the character. In the MCU version, he got his speed powers from Loki's staff but faced his end in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In the X-Men universe, he stole the show. The character became famous for rescue sequences where time relative to his superhuman speed slowed down to nearly a freeze-frame. Quicksilver easily manipulated people and objects around while listening to jams on his Walkman. All without breaking a sweat.
Could the MCU rectify both versions of the speedster? With the Infinity Gauntlet, anything is possible, and a retcon is just a snap away.
Colossus (Want)
Super strength is kind of like the generic power in comic books, but it's fun seeing how different characters handle it. The MCU already has a super strong character with the Hulk, but the Hulk is hampered by an inability to strategize or think clearly because he is so clouded with rage. Colossus, arguably not quite as strong as the Hulk, still has his mental faculties. He also has tremendous patience, evidenced by his attempt to reform Deadpool and train him as part of the X-Men. And he's got a huge heart.
He's one of those rare characters that could go toe to toe with heavies like Hulk or Thor.
Had he been on the team-up with Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Spider-Man and Guardians, we're pretty sure he could have yanked that Gauntlet off.
Beast (Don't Want)
Nicholas Hoult is actually charming in the role of the Beast, so this has nothing to do with his performance. The problem is that so much of what Beast can do is kind of redundant in the MCU. Sure, he's a brilliant scientist. But so are Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, and Shuri. He's got great strength, but he's not nearly as strong as The Hulk or Thor. He's pretty acrobatic, but so is Black Widow. In terms of abilities, there's nothing he can do that isn't already offered or doubled up already.
We suppose an argument can be made that he's the best mutant scientist out there. However, that basis alone is not enough to make him a top draft pick for the MCU.
Iceman (Want)
There are virtually no elemental characters in the MCU, so seeing an ice-based character included in the pantheon would be welcome. There are all kinds of creative ways Iceman uses his powers in the comics, such as fashioning quick transportation by making his own ice slides, producing sharp projectiles, or shutting down machines. He can also simply freeze enemies in their tracks. Though he was defeated in X-Men: Days of Future Past, it was only temporary. After Wolverine fixed the timeline, he was next seen speaking with Rogue in the X-Men Mansion.
Iceman would be a powerful ally against intimidating villains and it would be great his full powers unlocked in the hands of MCU writers.
Juggernaut (Don't Want)
It was a blast seeing Deadpool and Domino face off against Juggernaut in Deadpool 2. Also a little gross. But mostly hilarious. Juggernaut is a great foil for the X-Men in general and Deadpool specifically. But he's just far too similar to the Hulk. He rages, he's dim-witted, he's virtually unstoppable. The biggest difference is that Juggernaut is always Juggernaut. He never transforms into a different form like Bruce Banner.
We suppose a talented writer could sub in Juggernaut in the Avengers if the Hulk goes missing again. But why? Juggernaut is self-interested and rarely plays the hero, though he did join the X-Men for a while in the comics. Unless the Hulk goes, which we hope doesn't happen, he just doesn't seem like a good fit for the MCU.
Kitty Pryde (Want)
Kitty Pryde is another fan favorite mutant and she was portrayed perfectly by actress Ellen Page. Outside of Spider-Man, there aren't a lot of young people with superpowers in the MCU and virtually no young women in their teens or early 20s. She would be a welcome perspective amongst mostly hardened veterans. Though not portrayed in the films, the comic book version of the character is often seen with her miniature pet "dragon", Lockheed. This would be a quirky addition to the non-humanoid heroes in the MCU, including Rocket, Groot or even Howard the Duck.
As seen in X-Men: Days of Future Past, in addition to her ability to phase through solid matter, she eventually develops the ability to send people back in time. In the fight against Thanos, this would certainly be a game-changer.
Storm (Want)
Storm is another elemental hero, someone who can manipulate one of the forces of nature. In this case, she can control the weather. The power of focused lightning or a localized tornado can get intimidating really fast. In terms of ability, she has some crossover with Thor, the God of Thunder. However, Storm's power comes from a mutant ability, not magic or divinity. And it is certainly not limited to just lightning. For example, she could just make it too cold to fight without running inside.
Like Kitty Pryde, it would be great to have another young woman aboard.
She is somewhat under-utilized in the X-Men movies, so it would great to see her show off with the full force of her powers in the MCU.
Namor the Submariner (Don't Want)
Namor the Submariner is similar to DC's Aquaman in many respects. They both are royalty and can both breathe underwater, utilize superhuman strength, and telepathically communicate with marine life. Unlike Aquaman, Namor can also fly. Also unlike Aquaman, he's a giant womanizer who often behaves like a conceited jerk. In terms of character, that actually makes him a little more interesting. Namor is at his best when he's in his own underwater environment. Outside of the oceans, he still has superhuman strength and can fly, but is only a fraction as powerful.
In order to give justice to his character, he would really need his own movie.
And after DC is spending a gazillion dollars on the stunning-looking Aquaman, how is Namor going to compete with that? We doubt Namor will be entering the MCU anytime soon.
Professor Charles Xavier (Want)
Interestingly, so far we don't have any telepaths like Charles Xavier in the MCU. The closest in terms of powers would be Mantis, who is an empath. Having someone this powerful along on a mission could seriously tip the scales in the good guys' favor. As he was in the comics, Xavier would be an amazing leader of any team, using his telepathic ability to coordinate forces and cooperate more effectively. Using devices like Cerebro, Xavier could easily track down a villain like Thanos and may even be able to infiltrate his mind to anticipate his next move.
Plus, he's famously patient and empathetic. After all these years, he still hasn't given up on Magneto. That's a perspective that could have prevented the MCU civil war among heroes from starting in the first place.
Gambit - (Want)
It's absolutely confounding that the X-Men universe barely used this character, a hugely popular mutant among comic and animation fans. Gambit has the power to charge objects with kinetic energy, turning virtually anything into a powerful weapon. His weapon of choice is a stack of playing cards. As it stands, we've got some fun moments with him in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but then he's never seen again. Why? No explanation.
It was Gambit that revealed to Wolverine the secret facility that imprisoned and experimented on mutants. Unfortunately, due to an adamantium bullet to the head, poor Logan doesn't remember anything that happened in this movie, including Gambit. This would be a perfect time to bring the character into the MCU and get him involved.
Banshee (Don't Want)
Banshee was a solid character who was introduced on film in X-Men: First Class. It took him a while to get a grip on his sonic scream powers, but, when he did, he was invaluable in the final battle against Sebastian Shaw.
However, then the character disappeared from the X-Men movies. It's mentioned by Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past that he was experimented on by Trask and passed away in captivity, but we don't know that for sure. In X-2: X-Men United, Mystique sees the name Sean Cassidy in one of Stryker's computer files, which means there is at least the possibility that he is alive. Having never developed that much of a fan base, there doesn't seem to be a real reason to bring him into the MCU.
Dazzler (Want)
There has been no live-action version of Dazzler in the X-Men movie universe. And that's a shame because she would visually translate very well to the big screen. Dazzler can convert sound into light and manipulate that light into various forms. For example, she can produce a focused laser from her fingers or a emanate a blinding flash of light that can also shield against projectiles. She can also absorb the sound and release it back in one burst.
Dazzler prefers to use music with a steady beat to keep herself charged and ready for action.
She's also a singing pop star that secretly uses her mutant ability as part of the show. This is a role that's screaming for an existing pop star to fill it and could literally be a showstopper in the MCU.
Jean Grey (Want)
X-Men fans have a second chance when it comes to Jean Grey. The famous "Dark Phoenix" storyline was touched on in X-Men: The Last Stand, but fans hated the poor adaptation and how it relegated Jean Grey's storyline to a secondary plot. Luckily, the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past changed the timeline so that The Last Stand never happened. And now, the new Jean Grey is getting to try that story again in the upcoming Dark Phoenix.
Jean Grey is one of the most powerful telepaths and telekinetics in Marvel comics, superior even to Charles Xavier. In her Dark Phoenix form, she is virtually unstoppable. Mostly she's a hero, but when her powers overwhelm her she becomes godlike and uncontrollable. She's a complex character that would be right at home in the MCU.
Angel (Don't Want)
Angel is a tragic character in the comic books that has considerable depth. He starts out with a literal angelic personality and is corrupted by Apocalypse into something evil and vengeful. But in order for that story to work, we would have to first get to know the character's good side to make his fall have any meaning.
Unfortunately, we have seen misfires with both attempts to capture Angel's character onscreen. In X-Men: The Last Stand, we barely spend a few minutes with the kid before it's already over. In X-Men: Apocalypse, he's already fallen and deteriorated into fighting cage matches before Apocalypse even gets to him. He has hardly any lines at all. So in both versions, he seems like just a plot device with little to no character development. That's just not enough to make it into the MCU.
--
Who do you want to see in the MCU? Let us know in the comments!